The independence of
many African countries came with a lot of expectations. However, a few years after their
independence, many African countries experienced rising frustration due to unrealized dreams –
multiparty democracy was thwarted by military intervention in politics; the anticipated economic
development remained stillborn as poverty, inequality, unemployment, and other challenges were
written all over the map of Africa; and the spirit of nationalism witnessed during the
independence struggle waned as lack of patriotism and divisive politics permeated African
countries. What is more, violent conflicts and civil wars spread across the continent, from
Nigeria’s bloody civil war of 1967-70 to civil wars in countries like Liberia (1989-1997) and
Sierra Leone (1991–2002), to mention a few.
By the 1990s, it appeared as if respite had come to Africa, particularly with the increased
transition of many African countries from military rule to multiparty democracy. For
instance, between 1990 and 1994, 31 out of the 41 African countries that had not held
multiparty elections did so (Diouf cited in Ibrahim 2003). Nigeria also transitioned to
democracy in 1999 following close to two decades of military rule. Further progress was made
in the 21st century when some African countries experienced political power alternation in
the early 2000s, which suggested signs of democratic consolidation. Similarly, on the
economic front, Africa was seen as a ‘rising star’ due to growth in economic indicators like
the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), experienced by some African countries in the beginning of
the 21st century.
In the midst of this eulogy, more critical scholars punctured the ‘Africa rising mantra’ by
providing convincing evidence to demonstrate that what was construed as economic progress by
Africa was actually a sign of worsening underdevelopment and dependency within the context
of the global capitalist system (see Taylor, 2014). More than a decade after Taylor’s
seminal publication, it appears that the peripheralization of Africa within the global
capitalist economy is becoming more evident, particularly with the rise in the scramble for
Africa by existing and emerging global powers.
The power tussle between world powers has put Africa in a more delicate situation. For
instance, the U.S. economic war with China has been worsened by Trump’s economic
nationalism, evidenced by the rise in tariffs not just for Chinese products but also for
some African products. Moreover, cuts in U.S. aid are already beginning to have deleterious
impacts on development projects in Africa, including humanitarian interventions in
conflict-affected communities. Although Trumpian economic nationalism is a wake-up call to
rethink the diplomatic machinery of African countries, Russia’s expansionism, as evidenced
by the recent inclusion of more African countries, including Nigeria, in BRICS, also
requires disruptive statecraft by African diplomats to enable the continent to mitigate
risks and appropriate opportunities within the new world order.
Russia’s war in Ukraine, which is part of the power play with the West, has continued to
impact Africa negatively in many ways – there are serious allegations of an increase in the
spread of misinformation and illicit exploitation of natural resources in parts of Central
Africa and the Sahel by Russia. Beyond the increasing peripheralization of Africa in the new
world order, there appears to be a reversal of democratic gains witnessed on the continent
in the 1990s and early 2000s. Military coups have resurfaced, with countries like Mali,
Burkina Faso, and Niger currently under military rule. Recent elections in some other
countries have failed to meet the minimum threshold of electoral integrity. Opposition
intimidation, suppression of press freedom, and abuse of human rights continue to dot the
political landscape of many African countries. Violent extremism, terrorism, and insurgency
interact with worsening climate change to accentuate fragility in parts of the continent,
particularly the Sahel region. The institutional frameworks of continental and subregional
organizations like the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS) are being undermined by the economic and political retrogression being experienced
in member states.
Thus, despite the proliferation of global and continental agendas such as the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs), Africa Agenda 2063, etc., there seems to be no light at the end of
the tunnel yet for Africa regarding her development, security, and governance challenges. Is
Africa actually at a crossroads? How can the situation of Africa in the new world order be
explained within the context of sound theoretical and empirical studies? How can scholars
connect the dots between Africa’s current situation, its peripheral role in the contemporary
global capitalist system, as well as the future of Africa’s governance, development, and
security? What methodological tools can be deployed to interrogate Africa’s governance,
development, and security? These and many more questions inform the theme of the 2025 maiden
international conference of the Department of Political Science, Nnamdi Azikiwe University,
Awka. We therefore invite papers from academics and practitioners across the world to
interrogate these questions within the context of the following sub-themes:
Note: Other relevant papers addressing contemporary African challenges within the broader
theme will also be considered.